LGBTQ news and entertainment
Two tourists from Germany were arrested in Miami Beach on Monday after defacing a rainbow Pride bench writing “Adolf was here” and adding a swastika. Continue reading “German Tourists Charged With Defacing Miami Beach Pride Bench – ‘Adolf Was Here’”
Gainesville city officials and residents celebrated the opening of the newly-renovated City Hall Plaza that will provide more functional community space and accommodate more than 2,000 people.
The renovation incorporates rainbow bricks salvaged from the downtown crosswalks that were removed last year after state official ordered communities to remove rainbow crosswalks. Continue reading “Gainesville Repurposes Removed Rainbow Crosswalk Bricks For New City Hall Plaza”
Some news items you might have missed: • Pink News: Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA) trolled Republican efforts to defund PBS during a recent congressional hearing, sarcastically asking if beloved Sesame Street characters Bert & Ernie were “part of an extreme homosexual agenda.” Continue reading “Bert & Ernie In Congress + Miami Beach Pride + More News”
(photo credit: Danilo)
From left: Luis Alonso-Piovet, Pablo Reinaldo Romo-Figueroa, Adonis Diaz and Juan C. Lopez. (mug shots via Miami-Dade corrections)
Four young men (above) charged with battery under Florida’s hate crimes enhancement claimed they acted in self-defense when they assaulted two gay men during a South Beach Pride celebration in April 2018. The judge didn’t buy it. Continue reading “Florida Judge Rejects Self Defense Claim In Assault Of Gay Couple”
Hundreds still partied in the streets in spite of 8pm curfew
Miami Beach officials struggled to enforce a new 8 p.m. curfew on Saturday in the city’s South Beach entertainment district. Videos on social media from showed hundreds of people gathered outside after dark on Saturday and law enforcement dispersing crowds.
In trying to control crowds and taking a subject into custody, Miami Beach police said they used pepper balls. Two officers were also injured and taken to the hospital, according a departmental tweet. Police arrested at least a dozen people, according to CNN.
The city of Miami Beach, worried about the bigger than usual crowds filling the streets of South Beach and the threat of a resurgent coronavirus, declared a state of emergency and moved up its curfew on Saturday in an effort to shut down late-night spring break partying that it said had gotten out of control.
The emergency measures are in place for 72 hours but could be extended through the end of spring break on April 12. Here’s the report from the Miami Herald:
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| SAVE executive director Tony Lima suspended after praising four accused gay-bashers |
SAVE, South Florida’s longest serving organization dedicated to protecting LGBTQ people from discrimination, is facing awkward questions after it appears to have honored four men accused of taking part in a violent attack on two gay men.
I reported on the attack when it occurred in May 2018 after the Miami Beach Pride Parade.
Dmitry Logunov and Rene Chalarca were severely beaten by four men as they walked home after celebrating LGBT Pride. Surveillance cameras captured the violent beating and helped lead to the four attackers’ arrests.
The four men – Pablo Reinaldo Romo-Figueroa, 21, Luis Alonso-Piovet, 20, Juan Carlos Lopez, 21, and Adonis Diaz, 21 – were soon arrested and charged with felony aggravated battery and could face up to 30 years in prison.
The Miami Herald reported at the time that Miami-Dade prosecutors also filed enhanced aggravated battery with prejudice hate crime charges.
All four pleaded not guilty to the charges and the cases are still pending.
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| The four men accused of the 2018 Miami Beach gay-bashing |
South Florida Gay News reports that at the SAVE Champions of Equality gala two weeks ago on June 14, SAVE executive director Tony Lima recognized the four men telling the crowd they were “wrongly accused.”
In a Facebook video, Lima told SAVE supporters that the father of Lopez, openly gay Juan Lopez, reached out to SAVE weeks ago to arrange for his son to volunteer with the non-profit.
The father has maintained that his son could not have committed the violent hate crime and that he “loves LGBT.”
Since that time, Lima says the men have each spent a few hours volunteering with SAVE participating in tasks like data entry for the group. Additionally, the four purchased their own tickets to the annual gala.
In response, WLRN reports that SAVE has “placed Executive Director Tony Lima on paid administrative leave” while the organization conducts a thorough review of the episode. Lima has served as executive director for SAVE since 2013.
Terry Gonzalez-Chaveza, a spokesperson for the Office of the State Attorney, has issued a statement flatly denying any mistake in charging the men. “The defendants in the case are not wrongly accused,” said Gonzalez-Chaveza, according to SFGN.
Russell Cormican, a Broward County criminal defense attorney, told SFGN that the men may have decided to volunteer in an attempt at personal penance, or perhaps to ‘put their best face forward’ hoping it might help their cases.
SAVE also issued a statement via Facebook.
“We want to extend our deepest apologies first, to the victims, and equally, to the community for any insensitivity that may have been conveyed on our behalf by their attendance and mention at the gala,” read the statement.
“Our number one priority is to promote, protect and defend equality for all people, and it was never the intent of our organization to send a message that we in any way support, exonerate or justify the actions of these individuals.”
SAVE goes on to say the organization is “currently investigating this matter more thoroughly” and promises to provide “an update to our supporters and the community at large as soon as we gather all the appropriate information.”
In this week’s podcast:
• Hate crime charges have been filed against the Miami Beach Pride day attackers
• Oklahoma has the dubious distinction of having the first anti-LGBTQ state law of 2018
• Arrow and Teen Wolf star Colton Haynes has filed for divorce after six months
• The Trump administration continues its assault on the transgender community
• RuPaul is set to star in a new Netflix sitcom, AJ and the Queen
All that and more on this episode of The Randy Report
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| The four Miami Beach gay bashers |
Back in April, I reported on a violent anti-LGBT attack on a gay couple that occurred in Miami Beach shortly after the city’s Pride Parade.
The couple, Dmitry Logunov and Rene Chalarca, were violently beaten by four men.
In addition, Helmut Muller Estrada, a good samaritan who jumped in trying to stop the attack, was also severely injured requiring a hospital visit.
The couple said they were targeted because of their sexual orientation.
Which brings me to today’s news as The Miami Herald is reporting the four attackers have been charged with aggravated battery committed with prejudice. That means the police now officially view the attack as a hate crime.
If convicted each of the men – Pablo Reinaldo Romo-Figueroa, 21, Luis Alonso-Piovet, 20, Juan C. Lopez, 21, and Adonis Diaz, 21 – could face up to 30 years in prison.
The attackers turned themselves in shortly after social media folks spread video and surveillance photos far and wide.